Kedma Mishloach Manot sales increase amid pandemic
By Daryl Perry
For Mitzpeh
@starylize
To celebrate Purim this year, Kedma, this university’s Orthodox Jewish group, sold mishloach manot (traditional gifts of food) to students. Parents also bought Purim-themed gift bags from Kedma for their children to add to this year's festivities.
“A lot of our holidays, unfortunately, are ...
Community comes together to combat COVID-19
By Nira Dayanim
For Mitzpeh
@umdmitzpeh
Over the past few weeks, a combination of cold weather and the return to campus after time away has led to a spike in COVID-19 cases among students at this university. The Jewish response? Fight it together.
Last semester, Kedma, the Orthodox group on campus, created a WhatsApp group to keep ...
Orthodox community maintains campus eruv
By Paige Maizes
@MaizesPaige
For Mitzpeh
An eruv [air-oov, er-; Sephardic Hebrew e-roov; Ashkenazic Hebrew ey-roov] is an important aspect of Shabbat that the Orthodox community protects and preserves each week.
Co-head of maintaining the eruv at this university, Judah Lesser, a junior computer engineering major, explained how ...
Kedma welcomes new board for spring semester
By Max Boyarsky
For Mitzpeh
@BoyarskyMax
Although some clubs and organizations at this university are having a difficult time planning events this semester, others are trudging through the obstacles.
Kedma, this university’s Orthodox community, announced the winners of their board elections on Dec. 13. New members ele...
Kedma poker night raises money and fun
By James Hartner
For Mitzpeh
@jhartner_umd
On Sat. Dec. 12, Kedma hosted a virtual Texas Hold'em poker tournament to help raise money for charity.
This tournament consisted of 14 participants, each with a $15 buy-in. With the stockpile of money, 50% of the money was distributed to the top three participants and 50% went to a charity ...
Remembering Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Sacks the Bridge Builder
Dr. Scott Lasensky
@scottlasensky
As the Jewish world mourns the passing of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former U.K. Chief Rabbi, my thoughts have lingered on his extraordinary legacy of bridge-building.
I cannot claim familiarity with his most cited teachings on Jewish texts, and I do not count ...
KOR brings Jewish students together against cruelty
By Ileana Lozano
@IleanaIRL
Arts Editor
At KOR Craft Night on Nov. 4, students made dog chew toys for The Anti-Cruelty Society, an animal welfare organization and animal shelter.
A day after the U.S. election, students were relieved to spend some time away from the tense political climate and take advantage of the opportunity to ...
Kedma pulls off Orthodox in-person services during High Holidays
By Ben Baruch
For Mitzpeh
@Mitzpeh
Although the coronavirus pandemic’s restrictions made celebrating the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur difficult, members of this university’s Orthodox Jewish community made sure that social distancing wouldn’t get in the way of a meaningful holiday.
Sophomore chemistry major Scott Sandor is the ...
Kedma gets students moving through the fall semester
By: Angel Gingras
@GingrasAngel
For Mitzpeh
On Sep. 7, Kedma hosted a virtual Zumba event to bring the community together and support a local charity.
As the fall semester kicks off, classes are not the only thing to move online since the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Many organizations around campus are working to get staff and students ...
Hillel adjusts prayer service options amid university coronavirus regulations
By Char Freedberg
News editor
@CfreeOfficial
With the coronavirus lingering and changing this university in many ways, this university’s Hillel still grapples with the question that students are asking themselves: how will Jewish prayer services be handled this year?
The High Holidays are rapidly approaching, so this question seems ...
